What is the Best Liquid Foundation for You?

a makeup artist applying makeup to a lady

Finding the right liquid foundation for everyday life and those special occasions is essential.

If you wear makeup often, you already know the value of investing in the right foundation. Your foundation is the base for the rest of your makeup, so if your foundation is defective, the rest of your makeup won't look as good as it can.

A good liquid foundation should even out your complexion. It should also help you not look too oily or too dry—we’re really aiming for that smooth, even look. 

If a foundation is applied correctly and has a good formula, it will last for hours no matter what your day brings. But with so many liquid foundations on the market, it can be hard to know exactly what to look for in the perfect foundation.

What Is Liquid Foundation?

Liquid foundation is one of the most popular forms of face makeup. Since it is liquid, it's easier to blend seamlessly into your skin, making it a tried-and-true makeup essential.

The base of a liquid foundation is often water. Another main ingredient is pigment, which covers uneven complexion. Pigments mimic skin for a flawless natural finish

Liquid foundations come in a variety of different shades and tones to match your skin perfectly. They often have buildable coverage, so you can wear a sheer layer or a full coverage makeup look, depending on your vibe that day. The finish is also adjustable to suit the makeup look you are going through, whether you want a dewy or a matte look.

The Benefits Of Liquid Foundation

Liquid foundation is the first type of foundation you should have, over a powder or cream formula, for several reasons.

Mixable

Liquid foundation's formula makes it easy to mix with other products. You can mix shades and add a serum, sunblock, or moisturizer. This is pretty much impossible to do if you're using a powder or cream foundation.

Blendable

As mentioned previously, liquid foundations have exceptional blendability, making the application difficult to mess up. It isn't too powdery or too thick, and it's easy to work with. A liquid foundation is a good option for people just starting to wear makeup as well as beauty veterans.  

Customizable Finish

You can adjust the finish of any liquid foundation depending on how you want your skin to look. 

  • While foundations like HIDE don't necessarily need a finishing powder, you can add a translucent powder on top if you want that extra matte finish. 
  • For a glowy look, mix in a liquid highlighter to give you that dewy finish. 
  • For a full coverage look that won't budge if you're sweating or going to an event, you can bake your face with a translucent powder. Baking is when you apply a thick layer of powder to areas where you sweat or where makeup tends to crease.  

The powder allows the heat from your face to lock in the foundation and concealer. You need to leave the translucent powder on for at least 5 to 10 minutes before buffing off the excess to bake correctly. Make sure all the extra powder is gone, because you don't want that dreaded flashback if you're going to take pictures! 

The possibilities are endless when you have a product that is easy to use and transform.

Is Liquid Foundation For All Skin Types?

Yes! Whether you have oily, dry, or combination skin, a liquid foundation can work for you. 

If your skin is on the oily side, look for an oil-free formula, like the one from HIDE. Excess oil can cause breakouts on acne-prone skin, so make sure you know your products' ingredients.

If your skin is on the dry side, a liquid foundation can add some much-needed moisture. A water-based formula will keep your dry skin hydrated throughout the day. 

A good liquid foundation will lend you the appearance of a clear complexion and keep your face feeling smooth.

How Liquid Foundation Can Protect Your Skin

Liquid foundation can help your skin by creating a physical barrier from the sun's harmful rays. 

To truly be protected, you need to wear SPF—we’re talking, like, every day. You can mix your foundation with SPF to protect your skin, or you can apply your sunblock under your foundation. Since your foundation formula locks in place for all-day wear, you may be protected for longer if you are out in the sun. 

If you have sensitive skin, make sure you're using sunscreen that doesn't use ingredients that will irritate your skin before using it with your foundation. 

How To Pick A Good Liquid Foundation

With the numerous liquid foundations on the market, it can be hard to find the right one for you. The main goal is to find a foundation that looks like your skin, only better. 

You need to find a foundation with the right finish, texture, coverage, and formula that's right for you. 

Coverage

As we previously touched on, a good foundation is buildable, so you can adjust your coverage according to the makeup look you are going for. 

A foundation with medium to full coverage is perfect because it can be applied in a thin layer for a lighter coverage look or layered for a full coverage appearance. 

Picking The Right Undertone

Making sure you have the right foundation shade is of the utmost importance. However, it can be hard to tell what shade you need. To pick correctly, you need to understand your skin's undertones. 

Undertones are the natural colors beneath the surface of your skin. You can pick the right shade, but it won't look right on your skin if you chose the wrong undertone.

There are three traditional undertones: 

  • Cool: Your skin has more blue, red, or pink hues. 
  • Warm: Your complexion is golden, yellow, or peach.
  • Neutral: Your skin is a combination of cool and warm tones

Don't just make an assumption about your skin's undertone, really study your skin. Fair skin can have warm undertones, and dark skin can have a cool undertone or vice-versa. 

If you're struggling to identify your skin's undertone, consider what metal you look better wearing. If you rock gold jewelry, you probably have warm undertones. If you look cool and collected in silver, cool undertones are likely your thing. If you can wear it all (you lucky thing, you), your undertones are likely neutral.  

Picking The Right Shade

Once you know your skin's undertone, it will be much easier to pick a shade that will work for you. 

HIDE carries light, medium, and dark shades, with each of the three traditional undertones. 

You probably can make a pretty good guess on what shade you are, and from there, you will be able to narrow it down very quickly. We also have a shade finder to help you.

How To Apply Liquid Foundation

There are several different ways to apply liquid foundation. 

Your Fingers: Your fingers are one of your biggest beauty tools, and you can easily use them to apply your foundation. Your fingers naturally warm up the product making it easier to apply, and it gives you a more natural finish. Just make sure your hands are clean before you get started. 

Makeup Sponge: A makeup sponge can be a great tool to apply liquid foundation. It can leave you with that airbrushed finish. Make sure you wet your sponge first. A wet makeup sponge doesn't absorb a lot of product, and it helps even out the coverage. 

Brush: A foundation brush is a great tool to have. You want to make sure you have one with thin-bristles, as thick bristles can make your foundation streaky. Try to get a brush with synthetic bristles because natural bristles can be porous and absorb the foundation. 

You can also use a brush to apply the foundation all-over and then go in with a wet sponge in areas that need a little bit more blending or coverage.

Don't be afraid to try out multiple techniques to see which ones work for you.

In Summary

Liquid foundation is an essential product in every makeup bag. 

You can mix it with other products to achieve your perfect finish, not to mention that it blends into the skin super easily. It can even your complexion, help protect your skin, and provide an excellent base for the rest of your makeup. You can create a very natural look or a full glam look with the same foundation if it has a good formula. 

You need to find your right shade, but before that, you need to identify what undertones are in your skin to get the perfect match.

Once you have the right foundation, you need to apply it correctly for the best results. There are a lot of different tools and techniques to help you achieve a flawless finish.

 

Sources:

Why Make-Up Flashback Happens and How to Avoid It | Lab Muffin

Manage Your Oily Skin and Fight Acne | WebMD

Making Your Sunscreen Work With Your Makeup | The Skin Cancer Foundation